Posted by David Kjaer on October 18, 2006 at 1:19 PM
The Great Bustard project on Salisbury Plain is now in it's third year and I was again invited to photograph the release of this years juveniles. Unfortunately only 9 birds were brought over from Russia this year (previous years around 30) but delays have meant the birds were bigger and stronger on release. This is a 10 year project and although survival rates in the first year were disappointing, the team have learnt from mistakes and last years movement of birds and survival rates have been very encouraging. Also this years youngsters should meet up with 3 of last years females who have been in the area of the release pen for some months now and will hopefully pass on their survival skills to the newly released birds. No. 8 pictured above flew a few yards then walked a few more before flying out of the large release pen and was today joined by No. 9 who he had been in quarantine with.
I am very optomistic that this project will work and we will once again see Great Bustards as part of our natural fauna.
For more details visit www.greatbustard.com (being updated) or if you wish to pre-arrange a visit to the hide which overlooks the release pen and surrounding downland telephone 07817 971 327. Good photo opportunities are very limited but you may get lucky and have birds fly or land close to the hide.
If you wish to support the project and join the Great Bustard Group a years membership is £20 and you can contact the Great Bustard Group at 1, Down Barn Close, Winterbourne Gunner, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6JP
Posted by Major Gilbert on October 18, 2006 at 1:32 PM
Looks very interesting David. Is there any perticular spot to reccomend for birders viewing.
Have a friend in Wiltshire who has expressed a wish to see Great Bustard.
Major.
Posted by David Kjaer on October 18, 2006 at 1:41 PM
Hi Major
If you arrange a visit you will be driven out to the hide - you are not allowed to wander in the area!
David
Posted by Major Gilbert on October 18, 2006 at 2:38 PM
No what I meant was are there any areas where birders go to view these birds David and while I am at it would you object to me emailing this image to a friend.
regards Major
I bet this bloke doesn't want this shot of him in print.
You say that survival rates were poor due to mistakes. Care to elaborate? What steps were taken to ensure better survival? What lessons were learnt from previous year?
I have some very firm views on the reintroduction of long ago native species..not all of them against it.
Gives you a lot more information as to where the birds are /aren't! They have been turning up in some strange places. Finding them is not going to be easy - you can't go and wander around the salisbury plain area, however they have been seen often elsewhere.
Your chances in the UK at the moment are slim as they are very shy and judging by the distances that they disperse, they are very few and far between. Hopefully as this project develops, there will be areas where you can see this magnificent bird.
Andrew
Posted by David Kjaer on October 19, 2006 at 4:40 AM
Hi Major
From time to time I think the birders 'grape vine' will tell you where one or more may be seen, for example during the winter one bird was seen regularly on the Somerset Levels but has spent the summer back in Wiltshire. I'm not sure there is a reliable site at the moment where you might see one outside the area of the release pen, but for more info telephone Dave Waters on the number given. Re my image you are welcome to download and send to your friend - thanks for asking.
Hi John
The Great Bustard Group always new the reintroduction was going to be a learning curve in the first few years as a project along these lines with GB had not been tried before. However after the first year they found that they had made only one real error and that was in the fitting of the radio transmitters. At the time they sought the best advice from experts who had been involved with fitting radio transmitters to GB in other countries and one was present and involved during the first release which I witnessed. These transmitters were fitted with an elasticated harness and without going into detail the project director Dave Waters soon realized that the advice he had been given was flawed as the harness was clearly affecting the birds ability to fly well and manoeuvre properly. Subsequent releases have involed the males having a small transmitter glued to a tail feather and the female a similar transmitter in the form of a glamorous neckless and this has proved highly successful. Within a few months of release two birds turned up in France whereas with the first release the birds did not travel far and some were killed or injured colliding with sheep fencing which has not happened with the second release. For those who think, why fit transmitters in the first place, it was part of the conditions of the licence from the government and I think fitted properly essential to the success of the project. There were not really any other major errors made in the first year to my knowledge, but a number of minor tweaks have been made as one would expect.
One criticism that has often been levelled at the group was that some of the eggs taken from the wild in Russia were not really in any danger. This year the group were monitored by an independant team from Hungary and the report was very positive and concluded that the project was having no negative impact on the wild population. In fact from what I know of it the impact can only be positive as the eggs from nest in danger of failing are taken in the spring when the birds will relay (hopefully in a less intensively farmed area) and half of the chicks the group rear in Russia remain in Russia!
Discussion
10 repliesI am very optomistic that this project will work and we will once again see Great Bustards as part of our natural fauna.
For more details visit www.greatbustard.com (being updated) or if you wish to pre-arrange a visit to the hide which overlooks the release pen and surrounding downland telephone 07817 971 327. Good photo opportunities are very limited but you may get lucky and have birds fly or land close to the hide.
If you wish to support the project and join the Great Bustard Group a years membership is £20 and you can contact the Great Bustard Group at 1, Down Barn Close, Winterbourne Gunner, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6JP
Have a friend in Wiltshire who has expressed a wish to see Great Bustard.
Major.
If you arrange a visit you will be driven out to the hide - you are not allowed to wander in the area!
David
regards Major
You say that survival rates were poor due to mistakes. Care to elaborate? What steps were taken to ensure better survival? What lessons were learnt from previous year?
I have some very firm views on the reintroduction of long ago native species..not all of them against it.
Cheers,
John
Thanks for sharing your info on this project.
Fingers crossed it becomes a success.
Follow this link:
http://pub13.bravenet.com/forum/1065729998/show/637081
Gives you a lot more information as to where the birds are /aren't! They have been turning up in some strange places. Finding them is not going to be easy - you can't go and wander around the salisbury plain area, however they have been seen often elsewhere.
Your chances in the UK at the moment are slim as they are very shy and judging by the distances that they disperse, they are very few and far between. Hopefully as this project develops, there will be areas where you can see this magnificent bird.
Andrew
From time to time I think the birders 'grape vine' will tell you where one or more may be seen, for example during the winter one bird was seen regularly on the Somerset Levels but has spent the summer back in Wiltshire. I'm not sure there is a reliable site at the moment where you might see one outside the area of the release pen, but for more info telephone Dave Waters on the number given. Re my image you are welcome to download and send to your friend - thanks for asking.
Hi John
The Great Bustard Group always new the reintroduction was going to be a learning curve in the first few years as a project along these lines with GB had not been tried before. However after the first year they found that they had made only one real error and that was in the fitting of the radio transmitters. At the time they sought the best advice from experts who had been involved with fitting radio transmitters to GB in other countries and one was present and involved during the first release which I witnessed. These transmitters were fitted with an elasticated harness and without going into detail the project director Dave Waters soon realized that the advice he had been given was flawed as the harness was clearly affecting the birds ability to fly well and manoeuvre properly. Subsequent releases have involed the males having a small transmitter glued to a tail feather and the female a similar transmitter in the form of a glamorous neckless
One criticism that has often been levelled at the group was that some of the eggs taken from the wild in Russia were not really in any danger. This year the group were monitored by an independant team from Hungary and the report was very positive and concluded that the project was having no negative impact on the wild population. In fact from what I know of it the impact can only be positive as the eggs from nest in danger of failing are taken in the spring when the birds will relay (hopefully in a less intensively farmed area) and half of the chicks the group rear in Russia remain in Russia!
Regards
David
Terry
thanks for the information.
John
Aberdeen